Design Shifu vs Kimp.io
Design Shifu and Kimp.io both offer unlimited graphic design subscriptions. Design Shifu is the clear budget winner with lower costs and better weekend coverage. Kimp.io provides a larger dedicated team and superior official user reputation.
Reliable, fast, and professional design service.
Design Shifu provides excellent consistency and rapid delivery, fulfilling its promise of a dependable design extension for growing teams. We appreciate the dedicated structure, which includes a two-designer team and account manager, ensuring brand consistency and professionalism across complex campaigns. Overall, this service is a strong value proposition for businesses needing high-volume creative output delivered reliably and quickly.
Pros
- Guaranteed 24-hour turnaround for most design requests (externally confirmed).
- All plans include unlimited design requests and revisions.
- Work with a dedicated team of designers who learn your brand.
- Team maintains quality and consistency even under tight deadlines.
Cons
- All base plans limit work output to one active request at a time.
- Very limited volume of external user feedback available to date.
- No traditional free plan or extended free trial is offered.
High-Volume Design, Predictable Price
We find Kimp delivers exceptional value by combining flat-rate pricing with highly reliable, fast production for both graphics and video. The dedicated team model reduces inconsistency often found with freelancers, making it ideal for scaling businesses. Overall, Kimp provides a professional, efficient solution for high-volume design needs that we confidently recommend.
Pros
- Flat-rate monthly subscriptions guarantee financial predictability.
- Dedicated design team including a Project Manager ensures consistency and quality.
- Fast turnaround times, often 24 hours for graphic design requests.
- KIMP360 platform centralizes the workflow for easy request management and collaboration.
Cons
- Initial ramp-up period is required (approx. one month) for the team to fully adopt specific brand aesthetics.
- Video design requires a longer turnaround (2–4 days) compared to graphics.
- Dedicated designers may occasionally be unavailable, potentially necessitating re-dos on requests.
AboutDesign Shifu
Design Shifu is your unlimited, flat-rate creative partner, providing design excellence without complexity. It replaces the high cost and complexity associated with hiring full-time designers or working with traditional agencies. Trusted by over 1000 agencies, this system is reliable for fast-growing businesses.
Upon signing up, you receive a dedicated team, usually two designers and an account manager, who work to understand your specific brand needs 💡. This service delivers high-quality assets across more than 100 categories, covering everything from professional logo designs and custom illustrations to web pages and print materials.
AboutKimp.io
Kimp is an subscription service providing unlimited graphic design and video services under a simple monthly billing structure. This approach allows businesses of all sizes to access high-quality creative work without contracts or hidden fees. Kimp is currently trusted by over 5,000 businesses globally, demonstrating a powerful, reliable solution for ongoing design needs.
Their model replaces the need for expensive in-house staff or unpredictable freelancers. You can choose from three flexible plans: Graphics, Video, or a combination of both. The service effectively removes design boundaries and helps you focus on your core business. Kimp designs for ambitious brands in over 60 different countries.
Highlights
Feature Comparison
Features Overview
We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.
Pricing & Value
Design Shifu is significantly more affordable for businesses with tighter budgets. Kimp.io’s entry price is more than double Design Shifu’s Starter plan.
Design Shifu starts at only $399 per month, making design services accessible to smaller businesses. They offer large discounts for annual billing arrangements. Kimp.io’s base Graphics plan starts at a much higher price point of $897 monthly. This pricing reflects their larger team size and platform technology. If budget is your primary concern, Design Shifu delivers high value for core design work. Kimp.io demands a premium price for its service reliability and reputation. Design Shifu gives you comprehensive core services without the large required investment required by Kimp.io.
Video & Motion Design
Design Shifu includes fast motion design in all plans. Kimp.io requires a higher-tier, dedicated plan for video services.
Design Shifu bundles motion design and animation into every single subscription tier. Turnaround time for these motion requests is fast, generally 24 to 48 hours. Kimp.io separates video into its own specialty, requiring a $997 Video plan. Video delivery expectations are slower, taking 2 to 4 business days for a 30-60 second clip. If you occasionally need motion graphics, Design Shifu provides better overall inclusion and speed. Kimp.io is better if you require constant, high-quality video editing and animation. The explicit video focus of Kimp.io justifies its higher Video plan cost for agencies specializing in dynamic content.
Work Coverage & Speed
Design Shifu guarantees design support six days a week. Kimp.io operates strictly on a Monday through Friday schedule.
Design Shifu provides crucial six-day coverage, handling design requests Monday through Saturday. This is a massive benefit if deadlines often fall on Saturday. Kimp.io’s dedicated design teams work during regional business hours, Monday through Friday. If you submit a request Friday afternoon, you won't see results until Monday. For teams running tight campaigns with weekend launches, Design Shifu’s schedule is clearly superior. Sunday submissions wait until Monday start for both services. The 6-day service allows Design Shifu to maintain constant momentum and eliminate common weekend bottlenecks.
Dedicated Team Structure
Kimp.io offers a slightly larger dedicated team of four specialists. Design Shifu provides three dedicated team members.
Design Shifu matches you with two expert designers and one dedicated account manager. This team handles unlimited requests and revisions. Kimp.io provides a dedicated team of three specialized designers and one Project Manager. This provides slightly greater creative bandwidth. The larger roster means Kimp.io might be able to handle complexity or simultaneous requests marginally better. Design Shifu focuses on reliability with its smaller, consistent unit. For managing extremely complex brand assets, Kimp.io’s four specialists offer additional oversight and expertise.
Platform Technology
Kimp.io uses an advanced KIMP360 AI-powered platform for management. Design Shifu uses a simple, functional client dashboard.
Design Shifu utilizes a centralized, easy-to-use dashboard to manage submissions, assets, and communication. The workflow is simple and clean. Kimp.io emphasizes the power of its KIMP360 platform to streamline workflows with AI guidance. KIMP360 supports advanced feedback via screen recordings and annotations. If you want modern tools and robust, detailed feedback mechanisms, Kimp.io's platform is the clear winner. Design Shifu offers a more straightforward, less complex interface. Agencies managing high volumes might find Kimp.io’s AI-enhanced process saves valuable time on asset organization.
Concurrency Clarity
Kimp.io states clear numerical limits on active requests. Design Shifu defines capacity vaguely, based only on the tier level.
Design Shifu notes that its plan differences lie in capacity for active requests. However, it fails to state the exact numeric limit for any tier. Kimp.io explicitly limits work: 2 active requests for single plans, 4 for combined Graphics + Video. This allows transparent planning. If predictability is crucial for your design pipeline, Kimp.io offers necessary certainty. The vague capacity limits of Design Shifu make planning difficult. Knowing the active request limit helps large teams set realistic expectations for their daily throughput and prioritization.
Niche Design/Dev
Design Shifu uniquely includes specialized Webflow and Framer development services. Kimp.io focuses solely on design and video assets.
Design Shifu includes Webflow and Framer development capabilities across all its subscription tiers. This means they handle UI design drafts and implementation. Kimp.io provides UI/UX design concepts but does not mention the implementation or development side. Their focus remains squarely on creative assets. For businesses needing a single vendor to handle both design and minor front-end development, Design Shifu is the better fit. Kimp.io users will need separate development support. This addition makes Design Shifu an excellent choice for startups building landing pages and simple marketing websites quickly.
Our Verdict
Choosing between Design Shifu and Kimp.io comes down to budget versus volume certainty and video specialization. If you need design services but $400 is near your top budget, Design Shifu is your easy choice. Kimp.io is much more expensive but offers a clearer operational structure and better social proof. Design Shifu’s superpower is its incredible value proposition combined with flexibility. You get motion design included, and crucially, design support six days a week. For rapid-fire marketing requests, Design Shifu eliminates the weekend delay. Kimp.io’s strength lies in its dedicated video expertise and its KIMP360 platform. They offer a larger team and clearer concurrency limits (2 or 4 active requests). Kimp.io also offers a risk-free 7-day free trial that Design Shifu lacks. The deciding factor is volume clarity and budget control. If explicit concurrency limits are mandatory for planning, Kimp.io wins. But if lowest cost and inclusion of Webflow development are key, Design Shifu simply delivers more features for less money. Final verdict: Choose Design Shifu if you prioritize budget and 6-day week coverage. Go with Kimp.io if you require consistent professional video work and trust their proven, albeit premium, reputation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which design service is better for a small budget: Design Shifu or Kimp.io?
Design Shifu is significantly more budget-friendly, starting at $399 per month. Kimp.io’s lowest price is $897 monthly, which is considerably higher. Design Shifu also offers discounts for annual billing arrangements to maximize savings.
How does video support compare between Design Shifu and Kimp.io?
Design Shifu includes motion design in all plans with a fast 24-48 hour turnaround time. Kimp.io requires a dedicated, higher-priced Video plan starting at $997. Kimp.io’s video delivery takes longer, around 2 to 4 business days.
Can I test Design Shifu or Kimp.io before I commit to a paid plan?
Kimp.io offers a 7-day free trial to fully test their services before payment. Design Shifu does not offer a free trial, but they do provide a 14-day money-back guarantee if you haven't approved any final designs.
Does Design Shifu offer Webflow or Framer development like Kimp.io does?
Design Shifu uniquely includes Webflow and Framer development services in all subscription plans. Kimp.io focuses on general design and UI/UX concepts but does not specify development integration.
Which service offers faster overall delivery: Design Shifu or Kimp.io?
Design Shifu offers faster delivery by providing design support six days a week, Monday through Saturday. Kimp.io’s dedicated design teams only work Monday through Friday business hours.
Is the active requests limit clearly defined for Design Shifu plans?
Kimp.io is clear, limiting work to 2 or 4 concurrent active requests depending on the plan. Design Shifu is vague; it states capacity differs by tier but provides no explicit numerical active request limits.
Ready to Choose?
Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.